And you thought working out was a good thing. Apparently, it may have some negative consequences for hearing. Well, only if you crank up the tunes while you work out.
Research shows that gym-goers are more likely to turn up the volume on their iPods and other personal music devices while working out to drown out the surrounding, noisy environment. A gym, in fact, may have some consequences all on its own. (more…)
Who do you think suffers from noise more, a teacher or a bulldozer operator? Well, personally I’d rather listen to a bulldozer all day than screaming children, but I didn’t really think teaching would be listed as the noisiest job.
Apparently, I was wrong. In one study, 70% of teachers claimed they were disturbed by schoolhouse noise whereas only 60% of employees in the lumber and mechanics industries claimed to be bothered by the noise. (more…)
I found some interesting statistics and facts about deafness I thought you might be interested in reading.
Nearly 1 in 7 people in the UK are affected by deafness or significant hearing difficulty. That’s around 9 million people. Of these, 35,000 are children and young people between the ages of 0 and 25. Around 840 babies are born every year in the UK with impaired hearing in both ears. The majority of children end up with hearing problems due to chronic infection of the middle ear.
At the other end of the spectrum, age-related deafness is seen in 55% of adults over 60 and 70% of adults over the age of 70.
Nearly 87% of hearing damage is sensorineural deafness. Sensorineural deafness results when the tiny sensors in the ear canal are damaged. This happens due to a number of reasons: exposure to loud noise, viral or bacterial infections, genetics, medicines or aging. (more…)
In a recent blog post, I commented on a failed lawsuit against Apple for hearing damage associated with the use of the iPod ear buds. In reading the warning found in the iPod manual, it made me think about something. Here’s the excerpt:
“You can adapt over time to a higher volume of sound, which may sound normal but can be damaging to your hearing. Set your iPod volume to a safe level before that happens. If you experience ringing in your ears, reduce the volume or discontinue use of your iPod.”
They made a very good point that we may not realize noise levels are high when we become used to the sound. If you think about the way our bodies work and how we have built-in mechanisms meant to keep us safe, this is an interesting flaw. (more…)
Well, I suppose you could try, but not for any amount of money. A court in the U.S. (San Francisco) ruled in favour of Apple in a lawsuit filed in an attempt to blame Apple for hearing loss caused by the iPod ear buds. The plaintiff wanted a sum for damages and for the court to order that Apple improved its ear buds to prevent hearing damage. Hmmm…
While it’s quite true that any personal music device can cause hearing damage, the volume control allows the user to determine the decibel level. So, in my personal opinion, it was a fair judgement, especially since Apple includes a warning that states permanent hearing damage can occur if the “ear buds or headphones are used at high volume.”
Furthermore, the manual also reads, “You can adapt over time to a higher volume of sound, which may sound normal but can be damaging to your hearing. Set your iPod volume to a safe level before that happens. If you experience ringing in your ears, reduce the volume or discontinue use of your iPod.” (more…)
Tinnitus affects 15% or around half a million people in the U.K. It is a painful ringing in the ears caused by damage to the cilia in the ear canal from loud noises or repeated exposure to noise. In some cases, it’s merely a distraction whereas serious cases can be extremely painful and debilitating as it disrupts life and diminishes the quality of living.
For a long time now, the common belief in the medical industry was that caffeine irritated the symptoms of tinnitus, leaving many practitioners advising tinnitus patient to limit or cease their caffeine consumption. Now, we might be finding out that this was useless advice. (more…)
Have you ever considered why we use the word “sound” to describe a noise we like and the word “noise” to describe a sound we detest? Think about “What’s that beautiful sound?” versus “Where is THAT noise coming from?”
Perhaps I’ve had a bit too much “thinking” time on my hands with the children back in school after the holiday break. Nevertheless, I thought I might share some of my favourite sounds with you as well as the ones that send me running for my noise earplugs!
My 10 Favourite Sounds
Stress is one of those things we all have, and most of us realize we just have to “deal” with it. We can’t avoid it 100%. We can’t just take vacation after vacation. And even if you could… even if you had unlimited financial abilities, there are still stressful situations. Mentally and emotionally, stress takes its toll on all of us, but what about physically?
You’ve probably heard of the effect stress has on your heart health. You may have even heard about stress making you more susceptible to colds, flu and infection due to its ability to decrease immunity. Did you know that it could be making you fat? (more…)
One-size does not necessarily fit all when it comes to earplugs! The good news is there are plenty of choices so everyone’s ears will be protected from permanent hearing loss.
Men’s Earplugs
For the most part, men can use standard size earplugs. Whether you need shooter’s earplugs, sports earplugs, work earplugs or sleep earplugs, there are plenty of choices. For those who need earplugs on a regular basis, reusable earplugs are a cost-effective way to ensure you have protection available at all times. If you are unsure which foam earplugs you should buy, you can purchase Macks and Moldex Sample pack.
ProGuard makes custom earplugs, so even if you have difficult to fit ear canals, you’ll be able to enjoy comfortable earplugs designed specifically for your ears. (more…)
How important is your hearing or that of your loved ones? Surprisingly (or perhaps not) more than 40% of music lovers (those that listen to iPods or attend concerts/venues frequently) do not feel they have the time or money to bother with hearing protection.
I’m a music lover (yes, I know I’ve mentioned this a time or two), and the way I view hearing protection is akin to the way I view protecting and appreciating any gift. I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t hear my music or other important sounds such as my children laughing, singing or even telling one of those incessant knock-knock jokes. (more…)
